Praise the Lord (Journal Entry)

“Praise the Lord!
Happy are those who fear the Lord!
Yes, happy are those who delight in doing what he commands
Their children will be successful everywhere;
An entire generation of godly people will be blessed.
They themselves will be wealthy,
And their good deeds will never be forgotten
When darkness overtakes the godly, light will come bursting in.
They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
All goes well for those who are generous,
who lend freely and conduct their business fairly.
Such people will not be overcome by evil circumstances.
Those who are righteous will be long remembered.
They do not fear bad news
They confidently trust the Lord to care for them.
They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.
They give generously to those in need.
Their good deeds will never be forgotten
They will have influence and honor
The wicked will be infuriated when they see this.
They will grind their teeth in anger; they will slink away, their hopes thwarted.
~ Psalm 112

This is my prayer today, Jesus. In all situations....when the darkness comes, when people say they don’t like a story, when the weather is so cold there doesn’t seem any end, when Judy hasn’t responded with comments on a story in over a week, or when she has responded and there are still more changes to make, when Irene then has additional comments, when people drop in on a day when you planned not to have guests, when the neighbors don’t understand you can’t communicate all you want to, when the electricity is out for more than 10 hours, when your cookies that you’ve worked so hard to make have burned, when the email doesn’t work and you so desperately want to read and email from home, or send one, Lord- when these thing press in, help me to ‘let the light come bursting in’- and take on the attitude you would have me take on- that is to glorify you in ALL circumstances! May I not ‘be overcome by evil circumstances’ Lord- may I ‘not fear bad news’- Lord, may I ‘confidently trust YOU to care for me’ – Help to ‘be confident and fearless and face my foes triumphantly’

And wow- let the following be my praise to you today- just for who you are.

“Praise the Lord!
I will thank the Lord with all my heart, as I meet with his godly people.
How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them.
Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty, his righteousness never fails.
Who can forget the wonders he performs? How gracious and merciful is our Lord!
He gives food to those who trust him, he always remembers his covenant.
He has shown his great power to his people, by giving them the lands of other nations.
All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy.
They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.
He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.
What a holy awe-inspiring name he has!
Reverence for the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
The rewards of wisdom come to all who obey him.
Praise his name forever!
~ Psalm 111